PREPARING ORCHIDS FOR A SHOW

  1. Clean the pseudobulbs and leaves (water helps to soften the dry papery covering (cataphyll) around mature pseudobulbs so that you can gently rub it off).
  2. Make sure any exposed roots are clean of algae or other deposits.
  3. Make sure the media in the container is clean and free of weeds, algae & ants.
  4. Wipe the top of the leaves(I use lemon juice) to remove residue – do not use commercial spray to shine the leaves – it is not good for the plant.
  5. Carefully inspect plant for pests and disease. Remove pests with alcohol if any are found – if there is a bad infestation, leave the plant at home.
  6. Inspect the flowers for Thrips and other damage – if a flower is marred by the spots of Botrytis fungus it is best to leave the plant at home.
  7. Carefully stake inflorescences if this will help present the flowers to their best (if you can plan ahead of time it is best to train the inflorescence as it emerges and is soft – mature inflorescences are hardened off and can break easily).
  8. Take a piece of masking tape, write the owners name on it and affix to the side or bottom of pot.
  9. Remove any wire hangers, hoops, etc. andaffix masking tape with the owners name on it so it won’t be lost or given to the wrong person.
  10. Make sure the plant label is legible and secure in the pot.
  11. Water each plant thoroughly before bringing to the show.
  12. On a sheet of paper write your name, address and phone number and list each plant on aseparate line. If known, list the parents. Please make sure the spelling is correct (if you haveaccess to the AQ Plus or Orchid Wiz programs you can look up this information).
  13. Place each plant carefully in a large box or container for transport. To keep the plants frommoving around and sustaining damage you can put crumpled newspaper around the pots. Somepeople use cotton, florists shred or other material to protect the flowers and inflorescences frommoving.

PREPARING YOUR ORCHIDS FOR DISPLAY

There are a few simple, but important things you can do to make your display plants a winner. First, your plant should look clean and healthy. Clean off the leaves with a mild solution of about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in a bowl of room temperature water. A light solution of dish soap in water will work, but I personally like the results of using lemon a little better. Do not use 100% lemon juice on the leaves because it is too acidic. Some people have used milk to clean leaves, which also seems to work well. Use a paper towel or cotton balls with the solution and gently wipe the leaves.

Next, check over your plants for any signs of insects or fungal spots. Scale or mealy bugs may be spotted on the stems and/or leaves, whereas Thrips are crawling insects which damage the flowers and buds. Thrips are difficult to see, but the damage to the flowers is easy to see. A light gentle spray of 70% Isopropyl alcohol (kind found in the drug stores) over the blooms and plants will kill most insects. Do not spray in the hot part of the day. Just pour the alcohol into a spray bottle and spray over the top of the plant letting the mist fall on the flowers and plant parts. Also gently spray under the leaves and backs of the flowers. Do not soak the flowers so much that they are dripping wet, just a light spray will do. If your leaves have died back on the ends or chewed off by insects or snails, cut off the offending damaged tips, but cut on a diagonal so it looks more natural than a cut straight across. You can also cut off any severely damaged lower leaves that have excessive black spots or damage. Old, brown flower spikes from previous blooming should also be cut off. Dead pseudobulbs or stems may be cut off at the base, but make sure they are brown, dried, dead.

Lastly, for your plant to make the best impression, stake the flowers and spikes (inflorescences) so they are presented forward in a pleasing manner at eye level. You can use wire, like a wire clothes hanger, that has been straightened out. You can buy straight wire (#12) in home supply stores that is used for suspended ceilings, or you can use small bamboo stakes that may be found in the garden section of most stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot etc. Be sure and bend or cut off any wire that sticks out which could an eye hazard if someone bent over to smell the orchid. Most spikes and flowers should be arching or erect. Don't let the flowers fall backward after staking, but make sure they look forward for the judges and viewers to best see the flowers. Remember to make sure your plant has a nametag. If the name has been lost, make a tag which simple says Cattleya hybrid, Dendrobium hybrid, etc. If you don't know the genus, ask one of your orchid buddies to identify it for you. I will be happy to help anyone prepare their plant for the show if they let me know ahead of time.

Happy growing!

Joe Bryson, 777-6282

Thrips Damage Scale Mealy Bugs

(Photo: Joe Bryson) (Photo:nathist.sdstate.edu) (Photo:orchidgeeks.com)

Display Supply Kit

  1. Cleaning Supplies
  1. Paper towels
  2. Water in a spray bottle
  3. Rubbing alcohol
  4. Cotton balls & swabs
  5. Lemon juice to clean the leaves
  1. Tools
  1. Scissors
  2. Tweezers
  3. Pruning shears
  4. Needle nose pliers
  5. Wire cutters
  6. Florist’s knife
  7. Single edge razor blades
  8. X-acto knife
  1. Plant Prep Supplies
  1. Florist tape
  2. Florist putty
  3. Scotch tape
  4. Regular & black masking tape
  5. Bamboo & bendable wire stakes
  6. Green floral plant stakes or bamboo skewers
  7. Twist ties (green or black are best colors)
  8. Wire
  9. Paper clips
  10. Dressmaker (straight) pins
  11. Safety pins
  12. Florist greening pins
  13. Florist Styrofoam blocks
  14. Assorted sizes of plastic (green or black) & clay pots
  1. Misc Supplies
  1. Silver & gold pens (Uni-ball gel pens are good)
  2. Black or dark green cardstock
  3. Ballpoint pens & pencils
  4. Sharpie black marker
  5. Label machine with extra tape (clear is best) & batteries
  6. Note pad
  7. Black or dark green cloth in various sizes
  8. Small pieces of lumber and plywood
  9. Show theme props (know what the show theme is ahead of time so you can plan what to put inthe display)